Serie A: Udinese Hold On for 1-0 Victory Over Parma Despite Late Pressure

Udinese held on for a narrow 1-0 victory over Parma in Serie A, with Florian Thauvin's penalty proving to be the decisive goal.

Udinese continued their upward trajectory in the Serie A table, thanks in part to their proficiency with penalties. Florian Thauvin converted from the spot without any drama, securing a win for Udinese and handing new Parma coach Cristian Chivu his first defeat.

Parma had gotten off to a promising start under Chivu's leadership, defeating Bologna 2-0 in his debut match. However, the team was still grappling with a lengthy injury list, missing several key players including Milan Djuric, Adrian Bernabé, Valentin Mihaila, Hernani, Gabriel Charpentier, Yordan Osorio, Mateusz Kowalski, Alessandro Circati, and Adrian Benedyczak.

Udinese, meanwhile, had been on a tear, accumulating 10 points from their previous four games. However, their injury woes deepened with the losses of Isaak Touré and Maduka Okoye, and more recently, second-choice goalkeeper Razvan Sava. Despite these setbacks, Udinese was able to persevere and claim a crucial victory over Parma.

The match got off to an exciting start, with Arthur Atta unleashing two early attempts that were expertly parried by Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. Suzuki continued to impress, punching a Florian Thauvin free kick away from danger. Thauvin, however, would eventually get his chance to shine.

Thauvin's curler was deflected off Botond Balogh's elbow, prompting a VAR On-Field Review that resulted in a penalty being awarded. Unlike the drama that unfolded in Udinese's previous match against Lecce, where Lorenzo Lucca sparked controversy by insisting on taking the penalty, there was no debate this time around. Thauvin stepped up and converted the penalty with ease, slotting the ball inside the left post.

Udinese take all three points! ✅#UdineseParma pic.twitter.com/lDlNdlyD2e

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) March 1, 2025

Parma came out aggressively after the restart, and within a minute, Dennis Man broke free from the Udinese defense, forcing goalkeeper Daniele Padelli to make a difficult save at the near post. The action continued to unfold, with Balogh making a crucial block on Thauvin and Kingsley Ehizibue volleying wide from the edge of the area on the resulting corner.

Udinese suffered a setback when Arthur Atta was forced off the field with a sprain, just as he was about to receive a pass from Thauvin. Thauvin continued to test Parma's defense, unleashing a shot from distance that Suzuki was able to save. Despite the challenges, Udinese remained in control, thanks in large part to Thauvin's impressive performance.

Florian Thauvin is the Panini Player of the Match 🏆#UdineseParma pic.twitter.com/2wCzBcJYgs

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) March 1, 2025

Udinese had a golden opportunity to double their lead on 70 minutes when Oier Zarraga's cross was deflected into the path of Florian Thauvin. With time to control the ball and line up his shot, Thauvin surprisingly fired wide from just nine yards out, squandering a chance to seal the win.

Thauvin made amends for his earlier miss with a stunning left-foot finish on 78 minutes, curling the ball into the far top corner from the edge of the area. However, his celebrations were cut short as the goal was disallowed due to Lorenzo Lucca being offside on the assist.

Parma pushed hard for an equalizer and thought they had found it when Pontus Almqvist sprang the offside trap and went around goalkeeper Daniele Padelli to deposit the ball into an empty net. But Udinese's defense came to the rescue, with Oumar Solet making a decisive goal-line clearance to preserve the lead.

Udinese's third-choice goalkeeper Daniele Padelli proved his worth with two crucial saves in quick succession. First, he denied Mateo Pellegrino's strike from the edge of the box, and then he saved Pellegrino's header on the resulting corner, all within a span of 30 seconds.